The invention relates to a packet, kit and method and more particularly to a packet, kit and method for dispensing a sealant.
Viscous materials include sealant, mastic, adhesive, glazing, caulk, grout and glue compositions. Viscous materials also include silicone sealants and caulks that are used in building and construction applications. Some of these compositions are referred to as room temperature vulcanizable (RTV) compositions. They may include a moisture-curable polyorganosiloxane polymer, filler and a condensation cure catalyst.
In one procedure, a quantity of sealant is directly expressed from a dispensing tube or cartridge to a crevice or other area in need of sealing. Typically, the dispensing tube or cartridge is unwieldy and difficult to use on small jobs. Also, the tube or cartridge usually contains more material than an amount required for a particular job and some unused portion of the tube contents remains after a required amount has been dispensed. A dispensing tube with, an unused portion is discarded or is saved for future use. Discarding is uneconomical and may be highly undesirable for environmental reasons. At present, there is no known recycling available for the wide variety of sealant compositions available on the market. If the container with residual sealant is not discarded, it is capped to save the material for future use. But, the sealant may include a volatile component that will evaporate to harden residual material. Other sealants may be settable from exposure to atmosphere oxygen. In these cases, unless the container is correctly reclosed, residual material will be lost.
Some dispensing containers are merchandised with a nozzle-engaging, snap-fit bead and grooved or screw threaded cap to provide a secure fit to the container body. But these caps are fragile pieces that, are easily split or otherwise damaged from over-tightening. Or, the snap-fit bead and groove may not provide an enduring reclose fit until the lime when the tube is next required for a caulk job. Some informal capping devices have included a nail that can be placed into the tube opening to effect a plug type reclosure. Or, the container cap may be merchandised with a plug member to provide this function. But, these solutions do not avoid content hardening for more than a short period of time.
Other reclosing approaches have included wrapping the container tip with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, securing with a rubber band and enclosing the entire container in a scalable plastic packet. But, oftentimes these mechanisms do not work because the packets rupture or the packets contain enough air to dry the tube contents. Additionally, a foil or wrap can not be closely and tightly fitted around the tube and nozzle without air gap.
There is a need for a viscous material dispensing mechanism that overcomes these problems of waste and difficulty of use. Also, there is a need for a reasonably priced solution to these problems.